fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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Mood: m'Oudy
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Ideas on butchering an oud or adapting a toilet seat?
I'd like to have an electric oud to play standing up. The electric Sukars are too expensive for me. Besides, who wants to play something that looks
mostly like a toilet seat with a neck added? The cheaper ones look ... cheap.
I'd love a Najarian E-2000. Dream on!
How about one of those shallow "flat ouds" to put a pickup on? Still over $400 and not necessarily good value for money.
For an electric oud I don't need a high quality acoustic, I can start out with a simple body with a neck and soundboard. One idea was literally to
start with a toilet seat. But likely a better idea is to take a cheap commodity oud off e-bay and flatten it, or slice the back off like a soft-boiled
egg.
But how? I though maybe fill it with temporary urethane foam so the ribs don't collapse and then cut it ... with one stroke of a ninja sword? Laser?
Uzi?
Then reinforce the ribs, mount piezo pickups and electronics, put a flat back on, and rework anything that needs it, like improving/raising the
fingerboard etc.
Any suggestions? Ideas?
Thanks
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SamirCanada
Moderator
Posts: 3405
Registered: 6-4-2004
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not a bad idea.
Once thing for sure is that you need to have some steady hands to use the uzi... or the laser for that mater. You live a few driving hours from Area
51, you could probably get your hands on one of those sweet Star Wars sword. the question is then... do you have the Force?
if you ask me, this is how I would do it. Seriously...
After making some depth mesurements on the bowl, I would use some masking tape to establish the curve of the cut. Then I would probably use a drill
and make holes about 5 mm above the cut. If I am using a 5mm wide drill bit, then I would make one hole then another hole along the cut but making
sure to leave a 5mm gap between the holes and then go along around the whole oud like that. Then I would go back and drill out the 5mm gaps. It doesnt
have to be a pretty line because then I would use a plane and plane all the way to the masking tape. That would establish your flat back. I would
probably join some 3 mm thick slices of walnut or some other wood to create the flat back portion. Will the ribs fall apart?? maybe but I dont think
so.
anyways... my way of doing it.
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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Mood: m'Oudy
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Thanks, Samir. I am most worried about the ribs collapsing or straightening. What really holds the ribs in place?
As far as tools go, probably the best thing for this job is a Dremel Tool using either a cutting wheel or a cutting bit. I have both. The cutting bit
is like your brill idea, but you continue the whole cut starting from the hole. The cutting wheel I think would put less stress on the ribs. That
would be a lot like slicing the top off an egg.
BTW for people here who don't have a lot of tools but want to make mods/repairs, the Dremel is a versatile power tool with inexpensive accessories. As
soon as I get the $2 diamond coated bit I ordered, I'm trying making a rose with the Dremel drill press, the way I saw on a video, with the guy
wailing on a funny drill-press-like tool with a belt drive.
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SamirCanada
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Registered: 6-4-2004
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well you didnt say you had a dremel... laser sword and dremels are pretty much interchangeable.
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Peyman
Oud Junkie
Posts: 496
Registered: 7-22-2005
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why go thru so much trouble to make a flatback oud? Don't destroy any ouds (as much as it sounds fun  ). I made a flatback and it didn't cost much. Make a bending form from plywood and bend some sides on it. They don't
even need to be guitar sides. Try ebay's woodworking category for thin pieces. You could even glue veneers over a form. There is enough info on the
projects forums that you should be set.
Anyway...
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fernandraynaud
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1865
Registered: 7-25-2009
Location: San Francisco, California
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Mood: m'Oudy
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Are you suggesting making the neck, pegbox etc? I'm not quite up to that, too many other pressing things to do.
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Peyman
Oud Junkie
Posts: 496
Registered: 7-22-2005
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Mood: Mahoor
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Yes, that would be the normal course of action.
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